A month later, the narrator receives a letter from the earl inviting him to visit again. The narrator is excited to see his old friend, whom he first met when he was four. He tells her that he wants to spend more time outside. He asks her to be careful with knives, as the outside world can be dangerous. She agrees, and the two of them go for a walk in the garden. The two talk about how much fun it is to be outside, and how much they enjoy each other's company. They are on their way back to the manor when the narrator asks if there are any bodyguards guarding the house. The earl says that there are no bodyguards, and that he is glad that the narrator seems well. He says that if he is careless around the boy, he might be sentenced to life in prison. He then asks if the boy is all right, and if anything happens, he will take the boy out with force if necessary. He also asks if she has a favor for him, and she says that the boy saved her from a boiling water when she was visiting the orphanage. He is sorry that he did something dangerous, but he says that he has decided that he will never let the boy feel lonely again. She says that she has always been happy to live as a companion for someone else, and he is so glad that she is safe. He apologizes for his actions, and says that it is a promise that he should write into his will that she will never feel alone again. He thinks that he was struck by a "wave of nostalgia" when he first saw her, and now he feels like he is being sold into slavery. He wonders if he should have written that into the will, but says that in this world, there are things that he cannot shut away, even if they are precious. He has been trying to apologize to her for the way he treated her, but she has said that marriage should be between a man and a woman who love one another. He feels sorry for her, too, and thanks to her, his mother and father will be able to see him, too. Next year, he plans to have a brother or sister.